STEP OUT TO BEST OF VIBRANT INNER-CITY
Altadore 36 close to shopping, restaurants, recreational areas
Jenny Leighton is returning to an established Calgary neighbourhood that won her heart with amenities, convenience and park space.
After five years of living in Marda Loop, circumstances brought her to a condo in Discovery Ridge. But that inner-city stretch of southwest Calgary stuck with her. And when Brookfield Residential brought its new multi-family development to the area, Leighton welcomed the opportunity for a comeback.
She’s moving to Altadore 36. The 62-home development is comprised of two-storey condos that start from the low $500,000s and one-storey condos from the low $300,000s. The site is on 3620 16th St. S.W.
“I feel really at home there,” says Leighton, a marketing assistant. “It was just a fantastic location to live.”
Altadore, part of the Marda Loop Communities Association, was established as a neighbourhood in 1945. Since then, it’s grown out with nearby shops, services and an abundance of dining opportunities.
“There’s so much more walkabil- ity there,” Leighton says. “I don’t have to do nearly amount of the driving from there that I do now. I’m looking forward to that.
“You can go out to grab a coffee or go to yoga class or restaurants and there are things to do in the evening — and it’s safe.”
Brookfield has been developing in Calgary’s inner-city since it brought townhomes and duplexes to Bridgeland in 2013. The company’s inner-city projects have garnered strong interest, says Jaydan Tait, vice-president of Calgary infill communities, adding Altadore is another gem.
“Not only the proximity to the vibrancy of Marda Loop, the shopping opportunities, restaurants, and all the great things going on there,” says Tait. “But also the smaller scale area of that neighbourhood itself, with the abundant parks and all the recreational opportunities.”
Sandy Beach, North Glenmore Park and 21-hectare River Park, which includes an off-leash component, are all nearby.
“I’m a member of the (Glencoe Club), so I can bike ride there as opposed to a half-hour drive not knowing what the traffic is going to be like to get back and forth,” Leighton says of her new place in Altadore.
“It’s just so convenient. You can basically be anywhere that you need to be in five minutes. And the neighbourhood is great because there isn’t just one way in and out of it.” Like any inner-city neighbourhood, parking opportunities were an important consideration. And based on the site Brookfield had to work with, it was able to deliver its buyers a secure underground parkade, including multiple stalls for most homes.
“When we look at the opportunity on a site, we look at the existing land use rules and zoning in place,” says Tait, adding parking was important.
For Altadore 36, the site size and building configuration allowed the development to offer a larger slate of parking amenities.
“Based on our mix of one and two bedrooms, we were able to allocate essentially one parking stall per bedroom,” he adds. “So it’s a really unique offering in that most of the two bedrooms in the buildings have allocation of two parking stalls per unit.”
When putting pen to paper on Altadore 36, Brookfield knew getting the right exterior elevation was key. The development will step in with a stylish modern theme done in brick and metal panels.
“At every property we look at in the inner-city, we take a really good scan of the emerging architecture and the older architecture, as well. Just to make sure we’re creating architecture and selecting materials that make sense within the community — and a great fit and continued progression of the architectural expression of the community,” Tait says. “On Altadore 36 specifically, we took those cues and hired a specific architectural firm who came up through a proposal process with a design that we found was a terrific blend of a modern style of architecture with materials that really speak to some of the historical elements of the buildings in the Marda Loop area. Including the use of brick on the building.”
The development has 15 floor plans, with two-storey condos offered in a dual master bedroom orientation, ranging from 1,150 to 1,430 square feet. One bedroom single-storey condos range from 562 to 750 square feet and the two bedroom options go from 1,080 to 1,260 square feet. These homes have a standards package including stone counters, stainless steel appliances, wide-plank laminate hardwood flooring, undermount sink and airy nine-foot ceilings.
Leighton picked one of the twostorey condos. She likes that they’re accessible from the outside, making it easy for friends to swing by for a visit. The sociable theme extended to the interior. “I was looking for an open, casual space. I love entertaining, but I don’t like separate rooms,” says Leighton. “So having one open space is way more practical.”
Following Altadore 36, Brookfield’s inner-city work continued with the launch of The Henry in Parkdale. Another site by the company in Altadore is likely to open sales later this year.